Cotton Bowl 2015: Latest Odds, Storylines for Alabama vs. Michigan State

Michigan State embarks on arguably the biggest game in program history, and standing between the chance to play for its first outright national title in 63 years is a team that fits rings regularly.

Almighty Alabama is gunning for its 16th championship and fourth under head coach Nick Saban, who’s created an unprecedented dynasty for a sport so cyclical. 

This year’s Crimson Tide are on a march to reconcile unfinished business after losing as heavy favorites in last year’s national semifinal to eventual champion Ohio State. 

Those Buckeyes watched their back-to-back hopes crumble at the hands of these Spartans, who have become increasingly poised in playing games of such significance under ninth-year head coach Mark Dantonio, as Mike Hall of the Big Ten Network showed:

The Spartans haven’t been in a game of these stakes this late, but that hasn’t halted their confidence—regardless of the opposition.  

Spartans believe 'Bama is "beatable"

John Raoux/Associated Press

Alabama’s loss to Ole Miss in Week 3 seems like ages ago. The Tide have won 10 straight with by a combined score of 334-117 and been largely impenetrable on defense. 

Yet the Spartans objectively believe they can topple the all-powerful Tide, as MSU cornerback Arjen Colquhoun indicated, per Mike Griffith of MLive.com:

"

They're beatable. We’re aware of Alabama football. It's a tremendous program and I'd say over the last 10 years they've ran college football. From the film I've watched, they do some very good things, and I think they do some things they don't do so well. I feel like they do some things we can exploit and take advantage of. 

"

The Tide’s tendencies prove it’ll take a balanced offense to tumble. Their last five losses—Ole Miss in 2015, Ole Miss and Ohio State in 2014, Oklahoma and Auburn in 2013—all prove such, with strong running games complemented by aggressive aerial attacks.

Of Alabama's opponents since their most recent defeat—Georgia, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi State, Charleston Southern, Auburn and Florida—not one presented a formidable pass game that MSU quarterback Connor Cook anchors. 

Matt Hayes of Sporting News offered a glaring assessment of such following the Tide’s dominant win over one-dimensional Florida in the SEC Championship Game: "None of those aforementioned teams can throw the ball (and protect the quarterback) with any semblance of consistency, thereby failing to expose the Tide’s most glaring weakness: inconsistent coverage in the back end.” 

Cook is considered among the best quarterback prospects for next year’s NFL draft, and Saban believes he may be the best quarterback Alabama will face all season, per John Talty of AL.com.

Cook and the Spartans are justified in indicating Alabama can be beat, and they will prove the 9.5-point spread, per Odds Shark, is far too steep.

Derrick Henry tables Heisman talk in return to Tide

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Alabama Heisman Trophy winner and SEC record slasher Derrick Henry is appreciative of his accolades, but  he has moved on from their discussion in his preparation for the Cotton Bowl, per Alex Byington of the Decatur Daily/Florence Times Daily (h/t Montgomery Advertiser):

"

It was fun, (but) I really don’t want to talk about Heisman stuff. I want to focus on what we need to do to get ready for Michigan State. So if y’all can talk about that I would be happy. Everything that happened (last week) is over with, you know, it’s time to get back to what we need to do.

"

Henry also added his own conviction directly:

His 1,986 rush yards leads the nation and set a 34-year-old SEC record once held by Herschel Walker, considered among the sport’s all-time greatest. The SEC Network shared a graphic of where the workhorse runner ranks among the conference elite:

Once considered a dark horse for the Heisman behind fellow SEC standout Leonard Fournette of LSU, Henry catapulted to the forefront in a surging manner that aligned with his team’s mid-to-late-season success. 

But Henry and his burly offensive line—as much as their reputation precedes—will face the toughest run defense they’ve seen all season. MSU ranks seventh in the FBS at 113.1 rush yards per game, well under the 152.7 Henry is averaging. 

Alabama’s workhorse is every bit of 6’3” and 242 pounds, but he won’t be able to bulldoze the box as he did throughout the regular season. The Tide must alter their run-heavy approach—Henry is averaging an overwhelming 31.7 carries per game in SEC competition—and attack Michigan State’s exploitable secondary, ranked 74th against the pass.